Don’t shoot the pianist

The Maria Canals International Music Competition of Barcelona was founded in 1954 by the pianist Maria Canals and her husband, the writer Rossend Llates. This Competition has achieved international prestige since it was accepted by the World Federation of International Music Competitions in 1958.

It is held at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, being endorsed by the World Federation of Music Competitions for the organization of the branches of piano, violin, singing, cello, chamber music, guitar, percussion and flute. Since 1954, the Competition has held over 110 branches, with over 7.000 participants from 100 countries and 180 jury members from all over the world.

The 56th Barcelona Maria Canals International Music Competition will bring together 91 pianists from 26 countries between 13 and 26 March. At the same time, the Off-Competition will be taking piano music to the public.

Maria Canals Competition wants to take advantage of the presence of so many prestigious pianists in the city to take piano music out to the public. More than fifty pianos will be spread around the city so everyone who wants to can play the piano in some very unusual places.

Green spaces, squares and streets will provide the setting for concerts aimed at everyone, children and adults, professionals and amateurs, with grand pianos installed so the participants in the competition can take their art to every corner of the city. Rambla del Raval, Plaça de Sarrià, Can Brians prison and the Line 2 metro station lobby in Plaça de la Universitat are some of the improvised “concert halls” for these young artists.

B-Days: Discover Barcelona at incredible rates

Planning a visit to Barcelona? Check out our calendar and take advantatge of B-Days: the new incredible promotion at B-Hotel. For only 65€ per night, stay in one of our B-Rooms.

 Seamlessly blending avant-garde style with ultimate functionality, B-Rooms are equipped with the latest technologies and electronic devices; they also feature high design furnishings, minimalist decor, total luxury and excellent services, such as free Wi-Fi, natural lighting, and king size beds or two singles. Cots are also available.

B-Hotel in Plaza Espanya is a perfect place to stay when visiting Barcelona; it’s just ten minutes from La Rambla and Plaza Catalunya, as well as all the museums on Montjuïc. Its ideal location, in one of Barcelona’s most exciting areas, and just steps away from Fira de Barcelona fairgrounds, has made B-Hotel a key landmark during business meetings and trade conventions.

Click here and check out our B-Days calendar

European University visits NNHotels

European University has started a series of visits to 2 of our hotels: B-Hotel and Hotel Soho Barcelona, as part of the programm Industrial Visits for the Bachelor in Business Administration students. The first visit was a valuable experience for the students, and many of them have actually shown interest in conducting their interships in one of Núñez i Navarro Hotels.

European University is an accredited international business school in Barcelona, that offers innovative business programs at undergraduate / Bachelor and graduate / MBA levels. With small, dynamic classes offered in English, students at European University Barcelona can take advantage of the international environment while getting the best of both North American and European academic curricula.

Both B-Hotel in Plaza Espanya and Hotel Soho next to Plaza Universitat are design hotels where architecture and decoration have an important role on their character and essence. From their terraces, guests can combine incredible panorama views of Barcelona with relaxing swimming pools and lounge areas.

Students at B-Hotel

Students at Hotel Soho Barcelona

The Pope will visit Barcelona and Sagrada Familia

On Sunday November 7th, Pope Benedict XVI will come to Barcelona and consecrate the Temple of Sagrada Familia. This piece of news was announced yesterday by Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, Lluis Martinez Sistach.

This visit shows the high esteem of the Pope for the catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, added the spoke-person at the Vatican, Federico Lombardi. NN Hotels invites you to discover all Gaudi’s buildings as well as other Art-Noveau works in Barcelona, such as Park Guell or Palau de la Musica, with the Modernism Route.

The last time a Pope was in Barcelona dates from 1982, when John Paul II visited Montserrat, the construction works at Sagrada Familia and celebrated mass at the Camp Nou stadium.

Win a free stay in Barcelona with NNHotels

Once again, NN Hotels is giving a free stay to one of our guests, who shared with us his / her review after staying in Barcelona.

This time the lucky winner is: Jesús Martínez, who posted his comments on the Spanish version of our blog. Congratulations!!!!
He will be soon emailed with the details of his Free Stay at B-Hotel.

We continue encouraging our guests to express their opinions about our nine centrally located hotels in Barcelona, and on July 1st 2010 we will give another free stay, this time at Hotel Jazz, just next to Plaza Catalunya.

The prize consists of:

• A two nights stay in at Hotel Jazz with Breakfast included.
• Welcome Drink at the Jazz Bar.
• To be used between: July 1st and September 30th 2010 (subject to availability).
• No changes can be made once the reservation has been confirmed.
• The prize can not be used in conjunction with other item or goods.
• The prize can not be exchanged for any other item or goods.
• The prize is personal and non-transferable.

Only people who have already stayed in one of our nine hotels and post a review on the blog are eligible for the prize. Winners will be advised via e-mail and their name and surname will be published on the blog.

If you have any queries, please send a message to the following address: newsletter@nnhotels.com

Barcelona Marathon: March 7th

At 8.30 am on March 7th, the city will once again be packed with marathon runners ready to run more than 42 kilometres round the main city streets. All in all, there will be more than 12,000 runners taking part, athletes and amateurs from all the corners of the world, who will make this the biggest in the marathon’s history.

This year, together with the marathon, the organisers also want to make the liveliest, and to have the streets filled with thousands of city residents keen to support the runners and make the most of all the activities lined up for this athletics morning. There will be up to 40 entertainment points, practically one every kilometre, where spectators can enjoy the athletics while taking part in sports and music activities, tasting some gastronomic specialities, concerts, folk and cultural activities and lots more besides.

More inf@: Barcelona Marathon 2010

Tradicionarius: International Folk Festival

The Tradicionàrius International Folk Festival takes place for the 23rd time, featuring nearly 50 artists, seven album presentations and four new shows that will fill the CAT stage with folk songs and rhythms while including other city venues.

Once again Tradicionàrius wants to make local traditional music and culture more accessible to city residents, without abandoning its aim to evolve and expand. So, until 26 March, Barcelona will be moving to the rhythm of folk.

More inf@: Tradicionarius Website

Winners of the Photo Contest

Yesterday, February 1st, finished the voting in facebook and we have 2 winners for our Photo Contest.

 The contest has been a major success, we received more than 140 pictures. Thank you all for joining us and taking part.

Winners are:

• 1st PRIZE: Eva Fortuño, who will enjoy a 2-nights stay at wonderful U232 Hotel in Barcelona. Congratulations !!!
• 2nd PRIZE: Mandreja Marrón, who has a booking for two at Restaurant H1898. Enjoy your meal !!!

All the pictures will remain on exhibit at our facebook profile, on the album Fan Photos.

Stay tuned, as this was our first contest, but will not be the last…

Fashion as seen by Outumuro

Hotel Granvia is one of the favourite sets of the photographer

Under the heading “Outumuro. Looks” Disseny Hub Barcelona has put on display more than 200 images by fashion photographer, Manuel Outumuro. The retrospective exhibition, which can be seen until 25 April, covers twenty years of the photographer’s career

 All the top Spanish models have posed before Outumuro’s lense, such as Laura Ponte, Judit Mascó and Martina Klein, whose first photo was taken by him. “We are practically family” he said.

International models have also posed for Outumuro, including many famous figures, such as Penélope Cruz, Rossy de Palma, Alaska, Diane Kruger and Luz Casal, among many others.

Manuel Outumuro fuses the spirit of classicism with a search for elegance, an elegance which portrays femininity in its truest form. The photographer is drawn towards women’s fashion and the only job he ever rejected was taking photos of jeans. His images are timeless, though the photographer tells us that he works without looking for a particular style. “I take photos as I feel them” he says.

Outumuro’s influences are vast, from Harper’s Bazaar magazines of the forties and fifties to the world of cinema and literature.

Hotel Granvia commemorates this year its 75th anniversary. Stablished on 1935 in the former Palace of Serra-Chopitea family (built in 1870), this hotel has been part of Barcelona’s history and has seen all the majors events of the last century in the city. Its unbeatable location next to Passeig de Gràcia and Plaza Catalunya ensures the best of Barcelona to all its guests.

What: Outumuro. Looks
Photographic exhibition
Where: Disseny Hub Barcelona
Montcada, 12 - Ciutat Vella
When: until April 25th, 2010

Valentine’s Day in Barcelona

Enjoy a romantic weekend in Barcelona with our nine hotels

 A visit to Barcelona with your special someone is the perfect opportunity for romance, surrounded by spectacular architecture, urban landscape, the Mediterranean Sea, an unbeatable climate…

In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Núñez i Navarro Hotels today perfectionates this manual, with our Valentine’s Day packages and Romantic getaways.

Our nine hotels in Barcelona city center offer you a perfect location and excellent service, ensuring the most romantic weekend for you and your sweetheart.

Discover now our promotions and book your romantic stay in Barcelona!

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